Dual purpose compartment for refrigerator



Nov. 29, 1955 E. BENND DUAL PURPOSE COMPARTMENT FOR REFRIGERATOR Filed NOV. '7, 1952 M w a United es 2,724,952 I DUAL PURPOSE COMPARTMENT FOR REFRIGERATOR Edward L. Benno, Skokie, lll.,.assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application November 7, 1952, Serial No. 319,301 11 Claims. (Cl. 62--117.3)

This invention relates generally to refrigerator cabinet constructions and more specifically'to improved types of refrigerator and refrigerator door compartments.

It is an object of this invention to provide an auxiliary compartment in the door of a refrigerator which can be maintained at a temperature substantially above the temperature of the freezer compartment and the food storage compartment, or can be maintained at a temperature approximately the same as the temperature of the freezer compartment.

It is a feature of this invention that specific doors are mounted to the freezer compartment and the auxiliary compartment in the door of a refrigerator which will mesh or cooperate to effectively interconnect the auxiliary compartment and the freezer compartment independent of the food storage compartment in a refrigerator.

Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent upon a perusal of the following specification and drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a partial front plan view of a refrigerator with the cabinet door open showing one embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a top view of the refrigerator shown in Figure l with the cabinet door closed;

Figure 3 is a partial front plan view of a refrigerator cabinet with the cabinet door open showing another em bodiment of this invention;

Figure 4 is a partial side view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 3 with the cabinet door closed; and

Figure 5 is a partial top view of the refrigerator shown in Figure 2 with a modification of one of the auxiliary compartment doors.

The present embodiments are the preferred embodiments but it is to be understood that changes can be made in the present embodiments by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Generally, this invention comprises a refrigerator with an auxiliary compartment in the door of the refrigerator oppositely disposed of the freezer compartment, with the freezer compartment and its doors, and with the auxiliary compartment and its doors, so constructed that the cabinet door may be closed while some of the compartment doors are open. Thus the doors of these compartments mesh with the compartments to effectively form one combined freezer compartment extending from the refrigerator cabinet into the refrigerator cabinet door.

To describe the invention in detaiL-reference is first made to Figures 1 and 2. A refrigerator cabinet 5 is shown with a cabinet door 6 pivotally mounted thereto. A food storage compartment 4 is disposed within the cabinet 5. Within the food storage compartment 4 a freezer compartment 12 is mounted. The freezer compartment 12 has evaporator coils 13 disposed about the outside of the freezer compartment 12, and as is well known in the art, these evaporator coils 13 serve to cool the freezer compartment 12 and the food storage compartment 4. To the open end of the freezer compartment 12, two compartment doors 7 and 8 are mounted. Each of the compartment doors 7 and 8 is pivotally mounted at the side thereof to the open end of the freezer compartment 12. These compartment doors 7 and 8 serve to give access to the freezer compartment 12 and to enclose the freezer compartment to maintain 2,724,952 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 the freezer compartment at a lower temperature than the food storage compartment, since when the doors 7 and 8 are closed convectional air currents cannot pass between the freezer compartment 12 and the food storage compartment 4. Compartment door 7 has an additional function which will be described below.

Within the cabinet door 6, an open ended auxiliary compartment 11 is positioned. This auxiliary compartment 11 is substantially in alignment with the freezer compartment 12. To the open end of the auxiliary compartment 11 two auxiliary compartment doors 9 and 10 are mounted. These doors 9 and 10 are pivotally mounted at the sides thereof to the open end of the auxiliary compartment 11. Now it can easily be seen that when the auxiliary compartment doors 9 and 10 are closed, and when the freezer compartment doors 7 and 8 are closed, and when the cabinet door 6 is closed, the auxiliary compartment 11 Will be maintained at a substantially higher temperature than the freezer compartment 12. The freezer compartment 12 will be maintained at the lowest temperature due to the cooling coils 13 disposed thereabout. The food storage compartment 4 will be maintained at a temperature somewhat higher than the freezer compartment 12 due to convectional air currents within the food storage compartment 12 being cooled by the cooling coils 13. The auxiliary compartment 11 will be maintained at a temperature higher than the temperature of the food storage compartment due to the insulating effect of the auxiliary compartment doors 9 and 10. Now as can be seen in Figure 2, if the auxiliary compartment door 10 is open, and if the freezer compartment door 7 is open, and if the cabinet door 6 is then closed, the open door 10 will be projected into the food storage compartment 4 between one wall of the cabinet 5 and one wall of the freezer compartment 12, and the freezer compartment door 7 will be projected into the auxiliary compartment 11. The freezer compartment door 7 is of a height less than the height of the auxiliary compartment 11 and is of a width less than the depth of the auxiliary compartment 11. The auxiliary compartment door 10 is of a thickness less than the width of the space between the one wall of the cabinet 5 and the freezer compartment 4 into which door 10 projects. It can thus be seen that convectional air currents may easily pass between the freezer compartment 12 and the auxiliary compartment 11. This will result in a cooling of the auxiliary compartment 11 to approximately the temperature of the freezer compartment 12. A closer approximation to the temperature of the freezer compartment may be achieved if heat is also conducted from the auxiliary compartment 11. Referring to Figure 5, this may be done by constructing the auixiliary compartment 11 and the auxiliary compartment door 10 of a material which readily conducts heat and by mounting the auxiliary compartment door 10 so that when the cabinet door 6 is closed with the compartment door 10 in the open position, the compartment door 10 will contact the evaporator coils 13 which will effectively cool the auxiliary compartment 11 by the conduction of heat from the auxiliary compartment 11, through the compartment door 10, to the evaporator coils 13. It should be noted that if any shelves are mounted within the auxiliary compartment 11, they may not occupy the space in the auxiliary compartment 11 into which the freezer compartment door 7 is projectible.

To discuss in detail the other embodiment of this invention, reference is made to Figures 3 and 4. A refrigerator cabinet 20 is shown with a food storage compartment 29 disposed therein. To the cabinet 20 a cabinet door 21 is pivotally mounted. Within the food storage compartment 29 an open ended freezer compartment 27 is mounted. Disposed about the freezer compartment 27 are cooling coils 30 which serve to cool the freezer ice compartment 27 and the food storage compartment 29 as is well known in the art. Over the open end of the freezer compartment 27 two freezer compartment doors 22 and 23 are mounted. These doors 22 and 23 are mounted so as to be pivotable about-horizontal axes.

'Within the cabinet door .21 an open ended auxiliary compartment 26 is disposed. As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 the auxiliary compartment 26 is substantially in alignment with the freezer compartment 27 when the cabinet door 21 is closed. To the open end of the auxiliary compartment 26 two auxiliary .compartment doors 24 and 25 are mounted. These doors are also pivotably mounted about horizontal axes. Within the auxiliary compartment 26, some distance from the bottom thereof, a horizontal shelf 28 is disposed.

Now if the auxiliary compartment doors 24 and 25 are closed, if the freezer compartment doors .22 .and 23 are closed, and if the cabinet door 21 is closed, the auxiliary compartment 26 will be maintained at a substantially higher temperature than the freezer compartment 27 or the food storage compartment 29.

The freezer compartment 27 and its compartment doors 22 and 23, and the auxiliary compartment 26, the shelf 28 and the auxiliary compartment doors 24 and 25 are so formed and positioned that the compartment doors.22, 23, 24 and 25 may be pivoted to the open position, in which position they will lie in horizontal planes, and the cabinet door 21 maythen be closed to effectively interconnect the freezer compartment27 and the auxiliary compartment 26. The specific pivotal mounting means for the compartment doors 22, 23, 24 and25 .are unimportant to this invention, and may be of any .type well known in the art which will maintain these doors in the noted positions. Some type of frictional hinges or detents may be used. As can be seen in Figures 3 and 4 the freezer compartment doors are of a width .less than the width of the auxiliary compartment .26 and are of a height less than the depth of the auxiliary compartment 26. Also, the shelf 28 lies ina horizontal plane above the horizontal plane in which the compartment door 23 lies when in the open position. Thus any food placed upon the shelf 28 will not-be disturbed by the closing of the cabinet door 21 with the compartment doors 23 and 25 in the open position. Space is allowed above and below the freezer compartment 27 into which the compartment doors 24 and 25 can project. When the auxiliary compartment26 is effectively interconnected with the freezer compartment 27, as described above, the auxiliary compartment 26 will be cooled to a temperature substantially below the temperature of the auxiliary compartment 26 when the compartment doors are closed. Similar to the description above in regard to the first embodiment, additional cooling may be produced by constructing the auxiliary compartment 26 and the compartment doors 24 and 25 of a material which readily conducts heat and by mounting the compartment doors 24 and 25 in relation to the cooling coils 30 so that the compartment doors 24 and 25 will contact the cooling coils 30 when the cabinet door 21 is'closed.

Additional cooling may also be produced by construction of the shelf 28 and the compartment door 23 of a material which readily conducts heat and by mounting the compartment door 23 in relation to the shelf 28 so that the compartment door 23 will'contact the shelf 28 when the compartment doors 23 and 25 are in the open position and when the cabinet door 21 is closed.

The embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be further modified. The shelf 28 can be removed. Of course, if this is done the compartment door 23 may not then be left in the open position when the cabinet door 21 is closed. However, the opening and meshing of the upper compartmentdoors 24 and 22 may still be then utilized to effectively cool the auxiliary compartment 26. Further, the auxiliary compartment 26 may be cooled only by conduction .of heat rather than also by the convection of air as described above, by leaving .the compartment doors 22 and 23 in the closed position and by mounting the compartment doors 24 and 25 of the auxiliary compartment, oreither one of them, so that when the cabinet door 21.:is closed these compartment doors 24 and 25, or either one of them, contact the cooling coils 30 and thereby cool the auxiliary compartment 26 by'the conduction of heat.

It can thus be seen that by different arrangements of the compartment doors 'of'the auxiliary compartment and the freezer compartment, and by the use of various materials for the compartment doors and the auxiliary compartment which have varying degrees of conduction for heat, any desired degree of cooling of the auxiliary compartment, substantially equal to or above that of the freezer compartment, may be had. Also it can easily be seen that through the use of the two sets of doors the auxiliary compartment canibe maintained at a temperature substantially above that of the freezer compartment.

Having described the invention, What is considered new and desiredto be protected byLetters Patent is:

1. In a refrigeration system, a refrigerator cabinethaving a foodv storage compartment therein, a cabinet door pivotally mounted to said cabinet for enclosing said food storage compartment, an open ended freezer compartment disposed within said food storage compartment, cooling coil meansdisposed about the wallsof said freezer compartment for .cooling said freezer compartment, an open ended auxiliary compartment disposed within said cabinet door substantially in alignment withsaid freezer compartment when said cabinet-door is closed,.and compartment door means pivotally mounted to said freezer compartment and said auxiliary compartment for selectively enclosing the open ends of said freezer compartment and said auxiliary compartment to form two compartments with the air of each thereof substantially enclosed therein and independent from the air in said food storage compartment and for selectively enabling said cabinet .door to be closed when a portion of-said compartment door means is in an open position-to form substantially one compartment with the air thereof substantially enclosed therein and independent from the air in said food storage compartment.

2. In a refrigeration'system,a refrigerator cabinet hav-' ing a food storage compartment therein, a cabinet door pivotally mounted to said cabinet for enclosing said food storage compartment, an open ended freezer compartment disposed within said food storage compartment, an open ended auxiliary compartment disposed within said cabinet door substantially in alignment with said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, compartment door means pivotally mounted to said freezer compartment, a second compartment door meanspivotally mounted to said auxiliary compartment, said first and second compartment door means selectively operableto one position to enclose the open end of said freezer compartment and the open end of said auxiliary compartment, whereby said auxiliary compartment is maintained at a substantially highertemperature than said food storage compartment and said freezer compartment, said first and second compartment door means selectively operable to another position toxcooperate when said cabinet door is closed to only partially enclose said freezer compartment and said auxiliary compartment, whereby said auxiliary compartment is maintained at substantially the same temperature as said freezer compartment by convectional air currents moving between said freezer compartmentand said auxiliary compartment.

3. In a refrigeration system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second compartment door means is additionally operable-to a third position to engage saidcooling coil means, whereby said auxiliary compartment is additionally cooled by the conduction of heat from said auxiliary compartment through said second compartment door means tosaid cooling coil means.

4. In a refrigeration system, a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein, a cabinet door pivotally mounted to said cabinet for enclosing said food storage compartment, an open ended freezer compartment disposed Within said food storage compartment, an open ended auxiliary compartment disposed within said cabinet door substantially in alignment with said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, a pair of doors pivotally mounted at the sides thereof to the open end of said freezer compartment, a second pair of doors pivotally mounted at the sides thereof to the open end of said auxiliary compartment, one of said second pair of doors mounted so as to be projectible into said food storage compartment adjacent said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, one of said first pair of doors mounted so as to be projectible into said auxiliary compartment when said one door of said second pair of doors is projectible into said food storage compartment when said cabinet door is closed, whereby said auxiliary compartment is maintained at a substantially higher term perature than said freezer compartment when said first and second pair of doors are closed when said cabinet door is closed and whereby said auxiliary compartment is maintained at substantially the same temperature as said freezer compartment when said one door of said first and second pairs of doors are open when said cabinet door is closed.

5. In a refrigeration system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said one door of said second pair of doors is pivotal to one position to engage said cooling coil means when said one door of said second pair of doors is open and when said cabinet door is closed whereby said auxiliary compartment is additionally cooled by the conduction of heat from said auxiliary compartment through said one door of said second pair of doors to said cooling coil means.

6. In a refrigeration system, a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein, a cabinet door pivotally mounted to said cabinet for enclosing said food storage compartment, an open ended freezer compartment disposed within said food storage compartment, an open ended auxiliary compartment disposed within said cabinet door substantially in alignment with said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, a pair of doors pivotally mounted at the top and bottom respectively thereof to the open end of said freezer compartment, a second pair of doors pivotally mounted at the top and bottom respectively thereof to the open end of said auxiliary compartment, said first and second pairs of doors pivotal to enclose said freezer compartment and said auxiliary compartment, whereby said auxiliary compartment is maintained at a substantially higher temperature than said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, the top door of each of said first and second pairs of doors further mounted so as to be pivotal to a horizontal position and so that said top door of said second pair of doors is then projectible into said food storage compartment above said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, and so that said top door of said first pair of doors is projectible into said auxiliary compartment when said top door of said second pair of doors is open and when said cabinet door is closed, whereby said auxiliary compartment is maintained at substantially the same temperature as said freezer compartment by convectional air currents between said freezer compartment and said auxiliary compartment.

7. In a refrigeration system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said top door of said second pair of doors is additionally pivotal in the open position to contact said cooling coil means above said freezer compartment, whereby said auxiliary compartment is additionally cooled by the conduction of heat from said auxiliary compartment through said top door of said second pair of doors to said cooling coil means.

8. In a refrigeration system, a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein, a cabinet door pivotally mounted to said cabinet for enclosing said food storage compartment, an open ended freezer compartment disposed within said food storage compartment, an open ended auxiliary compartment disposed within said cabinet door substantially in alignment with said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, a pair of doors pivotally mounted one above the other over the open end of said freezer compartment, said pair of doors pivotally mounted at the top and bottom respectively thereof, a second pair of doors pivotally mounted one above the other over the open end of said auxiliary compartment, said second pair of doors pivoted at the top and bottom respectively thereof, said first and second pairs of doors enclosing said auxiliary and said freezer compartments when pivoted to the closed position, a shelf horizontally disposed within said auxiliary compartment, said auxiliary compartment and said freezer compartment formed so that said cabinet door is closable when said first and second pairs of doors are in the open position, whereby the upper and lower doors of said second pair of doors project above and beneath said freezer compartment respectively and whereby the upper and lower doors of said first pair of doors project within said auxiliary compartment with the lower door of said first pair of doors projecting beneath said shelf.

9. In a refrigeration system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said second pair of doors is additionally pivotable to a position wherein said second pair of doors engages said cooling coil means.

10. In a refrigeration system, a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein, a cabinet door pivotally mounted to said cabinet for enclosing said food storage compartment, a freezer compartment disposed within said food storage compartment, cooling coil means disposed about the walls of said freezer compartment for cooling said freezer compartment to a temperature substantially lower than the temperature of said food storage compartment, an auxiliary compartment disposed Within said cabinet door, means selectively operable to one position for maintaining said auxiliary compartment at a temperature substantially higher than the temperatures of said freezer and said food storage compartments and operable to another position for maintaining said auxiliary compartment at substantially the same temperature as said freezer compartment and at a substantially lower temperature than the temperature of said food storage compartment when said cabinet door is closed.

11. In a refrigeration system, a refrigerator cabinet having a food storage compartment therein, a cabinet door pivotally mounted to said cabinet for enclosing said food storage compartment, an open ended freezer compartment disposed within said food storage compartment, cooling coil means disposed about the walls of said freezer compartment for cooling said freezer compartment, an open ended auxiliary compartment disposed within said cabinet door substantially in alignment with said freezer compartment when said cabinet door is closed, selectively operable means for enclosing the open ends of said freezer and said auxiliary compartments and for effectively interconnecting the open ends of said freezer and said auxiliary compartments with the air thereof substantially independent of the air of said food storage compartment when said cabinet door is closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,021,096 Canton Nov. 12, 1935 2,086,018 Dyer July 6, 1937 2,136,558 Manshel Nov. 15, 1938 2,155,967 Carroll Apr. 25, 1939 2,322,769 Norberg June 29, 1943 2,576,691 Money Nov. 27, 1951 

